An example of an information communication device connected with an information system via a network is a digital multifunctional device or the like. Such digital multifunctional device needs various condition settings. However, in a case where a plurality of multifunctional devices are connected with the information system, it is very troublesome for a user to perform condition settings with respect to each of the multifunctional devices.
In order to solve this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 135250/2002 (Tokukai 2002-135250; published on May 10, 2002) discloses an arrangement in which common setting data is serially delivered to and set in a plurality of network devices. Namely, in this arrangement, when setting is performed in one of the network devices connected with a network, conditions having been set are read out and stored, and the stored conditions are delivered to other one or more network devices, thereby performing the same setting in other one or more network devices as the network device having been first set.
In the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 135250/2002, only parameters commonly used among the network devices are set because it is an object to read out setting conditions of a single network device and to import the setting conditions into other devices. However, reading out setting conditions of a single network device and setting the read out conditions in other one or more network devices also may be carried out to back up the setting conditions of the single network device itself. In a case where the setting is performed so as to back up the conditions of the single network device as described above, it is necessary to return not only common parameters but also data specific to the device or information specific to the device.
In this way, a case where setting conditions of a single device is read out and imported into other one or more devices is different from a case where setting conditions of a single device is read out and returned to the device itself in terms of a range of setting. Therefore, a user has to perform the setting in consideration of the difference, which is troublesome.